


Melting A Frozen Heart

by lucidrebel



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 16:33:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15513951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucidrebel/pseuds/lucidrebel
Summary: A few author's notes before the story begins...I began writing this story quite awhile ago, in the beginning of my fanfiction career (lol). Therefore, the beginning-middle of the story truly does not portray my best writing. What it will show, though, is the progression of my writing abilities as time went on. Truthfully, I would practically rewrite the first half of this book because it makes me cringe whenever I go through it to edit, lol. But for now, I stick to smaller-scale revisions due to a tight schedule. Please note that not every single chapter has been revised and edited as well.Thank you! ^^Disclaimer: the ending of this story completely diverges from the canon storyline. this is because the canon storyline had not yet existed/been published at the time that i was writing the ending of this story. i apologize for any inconvenience or confusion.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A few author's notes before the story begins...  
> I began writing this story quite awhile ago, in the beginning of my fanfiction career (lol). Therefore, the beginning-middle of the story truly does not portray my best writing. What it will show, though, is the progression of my writing abilities as time went on. Truthfully, I would practically rewrite the first half of this book because it makes me cringe whenever I go through it to edit, lol. But for now, I stick to smaller-scale revisions due to a tight schedule. Please note that not every single chapter has been revised and edited as well.
> 
> Thank you! ^^
> 
> Disclaimer: the ending of this story completely diverges from the canon storyline. this is because the canon storyline had not yet existed/been published at the time that i was writing the ending of this story. i apologize for any inconvenience or confusion.

After losing her loved ones in a devastating attack, Chisaki Matsumoto promises that she will do everything in her power to destroy the man-eating Titans and save humanity in any way possible—even if it means throwing away her life. Despite her tragic past, she endures years of vigorous training and succeeds as one of the most skilled soldier in history—possibly even better than the ultimate, Levi. She reaches in her goal in joining the Survey Corps, in which right after, Levi asks her to join the Elite Squadron. Without a moment of hesitation, she accepts. When the only thing that drives her to live is the ambition to kill, kill and kill, what will become of her? Especially when she begins to develop feelings for the cold and seemingly emotionless captain? Not only that, there's... something different about her.

~~~~~

Long ago, humans were threatened to the brink of extinction by one predator: man-eating titans. They were unintelligent humanoid creatures that devoured humans ruthlessly.

The survivors retreated behind the walls; Maria, the outermost; Rose, the middle; and Sina, the innermost. Each wall was heavily fortified to protect humanity against the titans. For a century, humans maintained peace within the walls. The only ones with enough courage to venture to the outside were the Survey Corps; each soldier was highly and specially trained to kill titans and gather intelligence.

Until one day in 845, the Colossal Titan broke through the walls of the District of Shiganshina, letting in thousands of titans.

The catastrophe only worsened when the Armored Titan created a hole in Wall Maria. Tens of thousands of people were devoured by the titans; many more were killed in the destruction, and there were countless left wounded. Many lost their loved ones, including young Chisaki Matsumoto.

She harbored a deathly grudge and she vowed to herself that she would do whatever it took to take down every one of the titans, even if it meant recklessly throwing away her life. She would exact her revenge.

From the moment she made that promise, she trained to join the Survey Corps, dreaming to become a slayer of the beasts.

Five years later, after Chi graduated from the Trainee squad, the Colossal Titan appeared and destroyed yet another hole in the wall; this time, in Wall Rose, allowing the titans to infiltrate once again. Fortunately, the wall was sealed with the aid of Eren's titan-shifting abilities before major disaster. But thousands lost their lives, and many more others ended up like Chisaki—a lonely fighter. Anger filled her heart, her ambition morphing into wild bloodlust.

Chisaki gained a reputation among the soldiers, being known for having killed dozens upon dozens of titans with extreme strength, agility, speed, and will.

The will to live, and end this horrible apocalypse.

The will to protect her comrades, and take on every burden by herself.

She was known as one of the most legendary trainees, with Mikasa Ackerman, and one of her greatest friends, Eren Yeagar.

Then, all hell broke loose when she met Levi.


	2. The Elite Squadron

The warm summer air was filled with excited chattering. A small group of young soldiers spoke cheerfully among themselves as they looked upon their new cloaks with spellbound awe. An overlapping pair of wings; one blue, and the other a white. Eren Yeagar, in particular, seemed to be the most animated, repeatedly running his fingertips over the stitching.

Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert stood beside him, holding their own cloaks. The glisten in their eyes was just as jubilant; although they shared a subconscious thought for the true purpose of their division, they were happy to have finally found purpose. They would proudly don the Wings of Freedom. Several other young men and women stood beside them, nervously trying on their cloaks.

Although there was a collective familiarity that surrounded the group as if they were a family, there was an individual who stood a small ways away, hidden under the shade of a tree. Her back was leaned against the thick trunk, and she held her own cloak as well. It bore the same symbol as the others.

She threw a longing gaze to the group of excited soldiers, a strange sense of yearning tugging at her gut. But she tore her eyes away and sighed, slipping the cloak around her shoulders. There was no point in her brooding over such trivial matters. Turning away from the group, she headed to the training grounds, right besides the small clearing where the people stood.

A tall wooden log with stubs jutting out from its body stood tall from the ground - a training dummy. Shifting with the new weight around her shoulders, she slid one foot back, crouched, and raised her fists.

She pounded one against one stub, causing it to spin around, almost hitting her in the head before she ducked and landed a roundhouse kick to the middle of the stump. It cracked in half, flying and rolling away in the direction of the group of newbie soldiers. The top part flew and nearly nailed Eren's head, the bottom rolling towards him. He leapt over it just in time and whipped his head to look at Chi in disbelief. The rest of the group followed suit, eyes widening when they spotted the two pieces of shattered wood.

"Oi! Chi! What was that for?!" Eren shouted, his face flushed.

"I'm sorry!" she apologized sheepishly, waving a hand. "I didn't mean to do that." Jean, a tall ash blonde, smirked from behind Eren.

"What a shame," he commented. "It totally should've hit you." Eren turned to glare at Jean, irritated, and they began quarrelling. Eventually, Mikasa intervened and ended the dispute quickly.

Chi watched the ordeal with a sigh, staring back at the others who proceeded to stare at her. They were rather astonished to find that her kick was powerful enough to destroy the training dummy - although these feats of strength were not stranger to them when they were wee recruits. She looked at them exasperatedly, raising a palm in question. They quickly resumed conversation and turned away from her, allowing her to focus on her sparring once more.

This time, she closed her eyes and imagined an opponent. With a slight bend in her knees and her heels digging into the dirt, she threw punches forward and swung her arms. Once she raised them to block her imaginary opponent from landing a jab to her face. She dodged swift kicks and delivered some of her own. Her body twisted and turned, flipped and bent, to defeat her illusionary partner.

But soon, Chi became quite tired. Not physically - she became tired of the lack of a challenge. This wasn't nearly enough. She needed a real opponent - a  _strong_  opponent, one that could maintain a good and healthy fight. As recruits, she often sparred against Mikasa, and it never took long until Chi was able to take her down.

"Seems like we've got a decent one this year," a bored voice mused from behind Chi. She spun around, coming face to face with someone she recognized as "humanity's strongest," a man who went by the name of Levi. She immediately straightened her back and spread her feet apart, tucking her left arm behind her back with the back of her right fist on her chest where her heart was.

"Levi Heichou!" she saluted.

Levi scoffed. "You made it into the Survey Corps," he scorned. "There's no need for you to kiss ass anymore. Fake, shitty people aren't needed around this hellhole, anyways."

Chi dropped her arms and slackened her posture, her eyes of molten gold flashing in slight perturbation. "Yes, sir."

Levi stared at Chi for a cold, hard moment. "What's your name, newbie?"

"Matsumoto - Chisaki Matsumoto, but everyone calls me Chi."

Levi's eyebrows twitched. Narrowing his eyes, he studied her closely,

Auburn hair cascaded down her back in straight locks, her bangs pushed back against the side of her face. As for her eyes, they were a sunflower-like color that shone brightly with the light reflecting from the sun. Her face was sunkissed from her years of training in the hot, unforgiving sun. Full, rosey lips were carved into her face, a small jutted nose with a perked end quite prominent.

"How long have you been watching?" Chi asked slowly.

"Since you snapped that training log in half," Levi replied nonchalantly.

Chi's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You don't normally spectate on new Survey Corps members, do you?"

The short corporal shrugged his left shoulder lazily. "It's your skills," he trailed, voice thick and calculating.

"Yeah? My skills what?"

Although his demeanor seemed rather careless, there was an edge to Levi's voice. "They're far more impressive than many you get around here."

"So?" Chi scoffed. "What of it?"

Levi's lips curled back into a slight frown. "Why did you join the Survey Corps? You  _do_  realize you could be within the safety of the innermost walls if you'd joined the Military Police?"

"That's not what I want. I joined the Survey Corps for my own reason."

Levi's eyes flashed; he had found what he was looking for. "And what is that reason?"

"I want to destroy every single titan," Chi spoke valiantly, "and I want to save humanity. It won't matter if I throw away my life. I've trained for five years for this reason alone - and I know it wasn't all for nothing. I will go outside this cage and destroy what's stopping us from getting our freedom."

Levi wasn't too surprised at such a response; he had expected as much from someone with her character. Chi's tawny eyes blazed with a young determination. He hadn't heard such a reason before... except, maybe from Eren. But then again, Eren was now part-titan, and Chi was only human - though her powers excelled those of a regular human.

"How about we spar?" Levi offered, removing his cloak from his shoulders. "I usually don't get myself involved in this kind of this because I always end up getting filthy, no matter what I do. But my interest has been piqued."

Chi's jaw dropped. She was appalled; this corporal wanted her to spar with  _him_? Should she have been afraid of him? Should she have refused his offer? Or was this some kind of test to prove her loyalty?

With her own mind still unable to comprehend the reality, she gave a slight disoriented nod and shifted into her stance. Her fists were hesitant when she raised them to her chest. Levi dusted off his shoulders and cracked his neck a few times before copying her.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted the new Corps begin staring and whispering - probably wondering about who would win. There was probably some talk about her insolence as well; her first day as a Survey Corps member, and she was already picking a fight with the head honcho? Regardless of why people were watching, this was most definitely quite the sight to see.

"You've got this, Chi!" Sasha, a bright brunette, called. After her, the entire audience began to roar with cheers and jeers.

After a few breathless moments, Chi gave a slight nod, and Levi lunged for her. He aimed a punch straight to her face, not bothering to pull back on his immense strength. Chi blocked it immediately and grabbed his wrist, twisting to the side, and let it slide past her face as she aimed her elbow at his neck. Levi noticed and ducked down, bringing his leg around to clip her in the shins. She was too quick and leapt up, landing a kick in his left shoulder. Levi rolled to the side but rose to his feet quickly, resuming an offensive stance.

Again and again they clashed, without landing any truly successful strikes on one another. Chi could tell from the way Levi flexed his movements that he was holding back against her - but she was holding back against him, as well. It was a reluctant battle. Though they moved fast and together like dancers, there was no end in sight.

After what seemed like an eternity of playing cat and mouse, Chi decided to end it. She ducked under Levi's upcoming arm and twisted around until she was behind him, kicking him right between the legs. He let out a choked cry of pain and fell to his knees, though he was already recovering within a split second. Chi shoved him down onto his back and straddled his waist, pulling up her right hand with only her pointer and middle finger straightened, the rest of her fingers curled; the other was around his neck. She held his arms to the ground with her knees. Levi's eyes widened in surprise as he realized she focused all of her energy into those two fingers.

This move was one Chi had sharpened greatly, training it until she could easily slice her way through thin trees with those two fingers. His almost indifferent expression didn't change as slightly when she brought her fingers down right toward his face, feeling the air rush past him. But... she didn't come. Her fingers had stopped right in between Levi's brows.

Chi's once smooth and calm hair was now tangled and distraught, giving her the look of a wild beast. Her golden eyes glared down at him in defiance, chest heaving with quick and shallow breaths. He was the best opponent she'd ever sparred against... and she loved the sensation of it.

Of fighting.

Climbing off of Levi, Chi leaned over and reached out a hand, smiling warmly. "Thank you for training with me, Heichou. I had a lot of fun," she thanked. Levi's brows furrowed in confusion as he took her hand and dusted himself off. His once pure white pants were now covered in dirt and grass stains, twisting his face into a grimace once he spotted the mess..

Chi nearly toppled over as the entire group of new soldiers suddenly enveloped her, each throwing a barrage of questions and shouts.

"Chi! You  _actually_  just took down Heichou!" Christa cheered.

"Let's go eat to celebrate!" Sasha suggested.

Chi glanced over curiously at a few men who had surrounded Levi. They were whispering and looking at each other intensely. Without a glance backwards, Chi broke through the crowd and went straight to Levi. Everyone backed away until they were encircling the two, not daring to utter a single word. She felt as if she were an animal kept in a pen to look at for amusement.

She held out her hand, indicating him to shake it. Levi stared at it for a few seconds as if it were something a titan just spit up, but took her hand anyways and shook it slightly.

"Let's do this again sometime," she chirped. "And next time, give it your  _all_." Her eyes flashed mischievously, an eyebrow raising to taunt him. She absolutely loved a good challenge, and Levi was the perfect person to manage that. His usually furrowed eyebrows arched, but he returned her glare perfectly with emotionless gunmetal eyes.

"You've already become quite annoying," he clipped, "but that doesn't mean I'm saying no. I have something to ask of you, as well."

"Hm?" Chi cocked her head inquisitively.

"Your skills show that you will be of great use in the Survey Corps. Will you join the Elite Squadron? Or you can call it the Special Operations Squad, whatever helps you shit better."

Almost immediately, whispers erupted from the crowd around her. Her flaxen eyes widened in shock. How in the world did a fresh graduate like herself receive recognition from someone like Levi? The Elite Squadron was on an entirely different level than the regular Survey Corps unit - and not to mention, they lived in a completely different building than the regular Survey Corps. But this was the perfect chance for her to sharpen her abilities, and she would more likely be able to engage combat with titans.

Without a shred of doubt, Chi nodded in response to the corporal's invitation. Almost immediately, the rest of the graduates swarmed her, cheering and crying out about her first accomplishment as a Survey member. If this much had happened in so little time, what else was there in store?

~~~~~

After dinner, everyone filed out into the house from the dining hall. The sun was setting now, and everyone had finished all of the chores that needed to be done, so now they were headed to their dorms to get ready to sleep. The next day, they would go over their strategy and train in the essentials of avoiding or taking down stray titans.

Chi stayed behind a bit longer to scrub a few tables and tidy up the area a little better. After she finished, she realized that there was only one other person still waiting around - and coincidentally enough, they were doing the same thing she was.

It was Levi.

They made eye contact and he sneered at her, looking away instantly. Chi was momentarily taken aback, but she sighed and finished her cleaning without uttering a word.

She tossed her rag into a bucket of water beside the doorway of the dining hall and made her way out. But where was she to go? She wasn't supposed to stay at the dorms with the rest of her friends because she was now a part of the Elite Squadron. All of the dorms were connected, rounding around in a U-shape around a fountain. Chi sighed and trudged over to the elegant fountain, sitting down on the edge.

She looked at her reflection in the water. Unnerving yellow eyes stared back - just like a predator. Thrusting her hand into the surface, she broke her reflection, ripples destroying the clarity of the mirror. Her heart throbbed with regret every time she looked into her eyes; they were a reminder of the fatal mistakes she'd made, ones that resulted in her absolute failure.

Allowing her eyes to travel to the sky, she stared at the disappearing orange and sunk into her thoughts.

**~Flashback~**

**~Chi's P. O. V.~**

_I was picking flowers in a field of my home district, Shiganshina. My best friend, Maki and I were preparing for the wedding of Maki's older sister, Mina, and her fiancée, Sato. It seemed like the brightest day in all of 845, with a beautiful sky and wonderful, warm sunlight. On that day, we were picking white daisies to bring to decorate the wedding._

_It was just like any other day, until a tremendous rumble shook the ground and knocked me off of my feet. I fell forward, but Maki caught me in time, the both of us stumbling to catch our balances. She stared in horror at the wall before us as a gigantic titan peering at us over the wall._

_I could only watch, terrified, as it created a hole in the wall with an earth-shattering kick. The hole in the wall was not what terrified me, though; it was what was entering the wall at that moment. Titans began flooding into Shiganshina, and it was as if the entire world had fallen into ruin at that moment. It was that moment that sealed the fate of every person in that district. Maki pulled my arm, jolting me from my fear._

_She dragged me with her as we sprinted back to our village, faster than our feet could carry us. I was staying with her, ever since my parents joined the Survey Corps and never returned. I'd always assumed they were too busy to return I hadn't heard from them in a very long while; my memory was lacking, though, and I couldn't remember clearly enough to understand._

_As soon as we reached the pavilion where the wedding was to take place, Mina and Sato were already gone, both running for their lives. We ran in the opposite direction of the wall from the pavilion. The wedded couple had escaped through the town, winding through the destroyed streets almost aimlessly. Maki and I chased after them, screaming their names as trembles continuously shook the earth._

_A giant shadow suddenly crossed over me - and it was headed right towards Mina and Sato. I then realized that the shadow belonged to a slab of what used to be the roof of a house. Sato noticed it, his eyes widening in horror as it headed straight for the two. In the blink of an eye, he shoved Mina forward, and let the debris crush him. Mina tumbled over her limbs as she was sent flying; she lifted herself wearily, letting out a choked cry when she saw Sato's legs were pinned beneath the debris. She shakily rose to her feet to run to him, but tripped over her dress once more. Ripping off the hem in haste, she ran towards her husband._

_She collapsed to her knees and held his head in her lap, tears streaming down her cheeks. Sato's face was etched in pain, but he mustered a sad smile as he reached a hand up to hold Mina's cheek. Maki screamed, but I couldn't make a single sound._

_I was completely terrified. My eyes widened in shock and fear as I stared at the pool of blood beginning to form around Sato's weakening body. It stained his suit and Mina's dress. He tried pushing her away, thrusting her arms back, but she kept crawling back to his side._

_"Go! Run!" he yelled desperately, but she vigorously shook her head._

_"No! Not without you!" she screamed, clinging onto him. Sobs wracked through her body. "I'm not going to leave you here!"_

_Today was supposed to be the special day where Sato pledged his love to Mina  - the day he would promise to live with her forever in happiness._

_Why... why did this happen? Why did this have to happen on this day?_

_"Mina, please! You have to survive," Sato insisted, growing weak. "For me...!" But it was all for naught._

_A seven-meter tall titan came around the corner of the street, its dead, emotionless eyes instantly finding the despairing couple. Maki and I froze in our spots. My blood ran cold._

_'No... this titan...! It will eat us if it comes any closer,' I knew. Maki and I scrambled to hide behind a building, praying desperately for it to simply walked. I peeked my head around the corner... and I couldn't tear my eyes away from what began to unfold._

_"No! Sato!" Mina screamed as the titan bent over, picking her up in its grimy hands._

_"Mina!" Sato cried, reaching desperately for his wife as she was lifted up into the air. Their hands grasped each other desperately - but it was no match for the titan's strength. Sato refused to let go of her hand. The titan wrenched the both of them up, Sato's legs tearing away with a sickening rip. He screamed, streams of blood flowing endlessly from the stumps of where his legs used to be._

_The titan brought the two closer to its mouth, already stained in blood of its past meals. Sato embraced Mina tightly, his own eyes wet with tears. They pressed their lips together, a last promise to one another. Their bodies entered the titan's mouth, and it clamped down, perfectly separating the two into clean halves. Blood splattered everywhere around its jaw, mixing together as the titan finished off the decapitated couple._

_I nearly screamed out loud, for Maki's sister was just like my own. I had loved her with all of my heart, and we had a bond so strong I was sure no one could break it. But that titan... it took it all away. Sato was a kind, humble man who put everyone else before himself. I had gotten to know him over the past several years, and he was like a kindred spirit._

_Why... why did they have to die this way?_

_I spun around to find no one behind me. My blood ran cold. Where was Maki?_

_"...Maki?" I called out softly. No answer came from all around me as the screams and booms continued echoing throughout the streets. "Maki!" I ran down the alley we were hiding in and looked around frantically. "Maki! Where are you?! Maki!" I kept calling her name as I weaved in and out through the town, refusing to find refuge until I found my one last remaining companion._

_She was really all I had - and I couldn't afford to lose her. Especially right after Mina and Sato were taken away from me._

_I spotted the obliterated pavilion where the wedding was to be held, where the chapel used to be - but it was now replaced with a gigantic boulder._

_And under it... was Maki. Her entire left side was crushed._

_"Maki! No!" I screamed, sprinting towards her. My best friend - on the brink of death._

_No, no, no no no!_

_I couldn't lose her too!_

_She was precious to me._

_I skidded to a rocky stop when I realized there was another titan now, headed straight in our direction. Maki lifted her head, weakly reaching out a hand toward me._

_"Chi - sa - ki," she gasped, blood dribbling from the corners of her lips._

_"Maki!" I tried running faster to her, but my trembling knees gave out and I tripped over my own feet, tumbling down the cobblestone road. Pain exploded throughout my entire body and my muscles screamed out in pain. I felt something warm trickle down my forehead and the side of my face. Some got in my mouth and I spit it out, recognizing the rusty taste of blood._

_I struggled to get to my feet, but the world was swirling around me. In my daze, I could see the titan lift the boulder from Maki's unmoving body, casting it aside as if it weighed nothing._

_"Ma - Maki! No!" I screeched. My throat hurt from the screaming. "Let her go!" I somehow managed to get back on my feet, but I wobbled and the world turned upside down once more. I refused to fall and stumbled my way toward the titan that was now picking up my best friend's limp, crushed body between two fingers._

_Her body was turned toward me, a horrified, pleading look on her face. She mouthed something, her voice to weak to speak, but I couldn't make out what it was. Something white slipped out of her grasp and fell toward the ground as I watched the titan bring her closer to its mouth._

_"Maki! No!" I shrieked with the last of my breath as she disappeared into the mouth of the Titan. It chewed her mangled body with its wretched jaw, Maki's crimson blood dribbling down its smiling lips._

_It hadn't seen me yet, and lost interest in its surroundings as it turned around, continuing towards other parts of the district. I felt as if someone had stabbed me in the chest with a knife. I stood, frozen, as a cold hand wrapped itself around my heart. Tears cascaded down my cheeks, hot and wet._

_"You'll_ pay _!" I roared, my voice hoarse and sore. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the half-eaten body of a soldier. There was a sword in their hand._ _Dashing over, I yanked the sword from the fallen soldier and charged at the titan, leaping across the rubble until I was on the roof of a house._

_I bellowed a war cry as I charged towards it, my height now matching up to its neck. My body moved unconsciously, my limbs flowing smoothly like a practiced dance. Before the titan noticed my presence, I jumped from the roof and thrust my blade into the back of the its neck, running it across its nape before jumping to the roof on the other side of the street. My landing was uneven and I crashed hard into the stone slabs. The titan stopped moving and plummeted to the ground, a harsh cloud of steam rising from its body._

_With godspeed, I ran back to the pavilion. I spotted the puddle of blood that belonged to Maki, where she used to lay broken beneath the boulder. There was something laying in it, half-soaked. My breath caught in my throat as I neared it, crouching to pick it out of the puddle._

_It was a small bunch of white daisies, bound together by two small rings. One was gold with a heart engraved in the band. The other was a smooth silver one, the same heart shape engraved into the precious metal. I knew exactly what they were; Sato had worked endlessly for months to save up enough money for the blacksmith to make them. It was Mina and Sato's rings._

**~End~**


	3. The Past

Chi was sitting down on the edge of the fountain, her body twisted so she could look at the water. On her ring fingers she wore the two rings - the ones that belonged to Mina and Sato, two precious talismans she kept close to her heart.

A hand touched her shoulder and she whipped around, her fists instinctively shooting out. The person backed away in astonishment, and when Chi realized that person was Levi, her hands fell limp to her sides. A confused look was plastered onto his narrow features.

"Why are you crying?" he asked slowly, inspecting her with those intimidating eyes of his. Chi stared at him, puzzled. Crying? She brought her hands to her face and felt that her cheeks were wet. Levi frowned and moved towards her, handing her a small white handkerchief.

Declining it, Chi wiped away the tears with her sleeve aggressively.

"I - I'm not crying; crying means you're weak," she lied. "Forget about being weak. I need to grow strong, so there's never any time for crying." Levi raised an eyebrow curiously, sighing exasperatedly as he rolled his eyes.

"We need to leave," he sighed, shaking his head. "Because of your sudden admittence, there aren't enough horses to ride back to where we are staying; you'll have to share." He beckoned for Chi to follow and she stood, trailing closely behind him.

They rounded the dorms and came to a stable where the Elite Squadron, including Eren, were waiting by many stallions. His eyes widened, and he instantly grew furious at the sight of Levi bringing in Chi.

"Heichou, did you make Chi cry?" Eren asked, a slight quaver at the end of his voice.

Levi rolled his eyes and let out another sigh. "No, I didn't. You can ask her yourself if you want to know why she's upset, because I don't know. Let's hurry and get back before you shit yourself." Eren simmered down and snuck over to Chi while Levi was distracted claiming his own horse to ride.

"You alright?" he asked, a look of concern in his emerald eyes. Chi's cheeks reddened in embarrassment and she crossed her arms tightly. She smiled as best as she could and nodded, trying to show him she was okay. He shot her a sympathetic grin and placed a hand on her shoulder. He started leading her to his horse, explaining their situation.

"Heichou took me in a few days ago and I'm being watched by the Elite Squadron... which you're now part of! Anyhow, we're staying elsewhere, at an old castle, which is partially my fault. Otherwise we'd be staying over there." He pointed at a building off in the distance that wasn't connected to the regular dorms.

It was a huge, white building, bigger than the regular house. Would they have really stayed there if Eren wasn't under surveillance because of his newfound ability to shift into a titan? What was the place they were staying at like? A hand jerked her arm, pulling her out of her thoughts. She knit her brows together in confusion as she realized it was Levi who interrupted her thoughts.

"What're you doing?" Chi questioned, trying to pull away, but he only tightened his grip, leading her to his horse instead. Then he gazed back at Eren, who stood with his eyes wide in shock.

"Eren is still too unpredictable and dangerous to be around. Chi, you'll have to be sharing a horse with me."

"Why?" she denied, crossing her arms in front of her chest, although it was pretty obvious. Levi was among the scrawniest and smallest of the group, only a bit taller than five feet, despite his age. Even though his frame was built up with muscle from years of training and experience with fighting titans, he didn't take up much room. He sighed and glared faintly at Chi with a face of stone.

"Just get on the horse, idiot," Levi demanded. Chi huffed and relented, climbing onto the horse's back. Levi did the same after her, snaking his arms around her waist to reach for the reins.

"Hold on tight," he commanded directly next to her ear, causing her to jump; his warm breath tickled her ear. Her shoulder rammed into his chin, making his teeth knock together. Chi let out a small yelp of surprise as Levi smacked her behind the head.

"You're too sensitive, you idiot!" he grumbled, swearing incoherently under his breath as he rubbed his chin. He grabbed the reins again, making sure to keep a tighter hold and bigger distance from Chi's shoulder.

"Then don't whisper in my ear like that," she whined. She grabbed onto the reins too, curling her fingers around the sewn leather right next to Levi's hands.

Chi gasped when the horse burst into a gallop, jerking her backwards with a start. She leaned into Levi, feeling his broad chest against her back. She didn't have too much experience on horseback with another person, and she was hesitant to find a secure spot on he horse. She felt Levi's breath again, moving in and out of pace with the horse's galloping.

The sun was just above the horizon, slowly disappearing as it prepared for the inky night. The other members followed closely behind on their horses as they traveled along the dirt road cutting through the grassy plain. Chi's hair whipped around her face, hitting Levi's during the ride. He growled and constantly flicked his head to get the hair out of his eyes. Chi apologized mentally and kept her gaze on the road as the horse made its way to the location.

~~~~~

"Ahh," Petra sighed as Gunther shut the door behind him. "Finally, we're back! I'm exhausted, especially after all that cleaning you made us do, Heichou!" She immediately skipped up the stairs and went to her room, as did the rest of the squad except for Eren, Levi, and Chi.

"I'm going to bring Eren down to his room in the basement," Levi called from near a door beside the kitchen. "Try not to destroy anything while I'm gone. We're already stuck babysitting Eren, and it'd be a hassle to add you to the list. I'll show you your room once I come back."

"Yes, sir!" Chi yelled in reply, observing her surroundings. Much of the interior was made of wood like a cabin, candles flickering and creating long shadows against the wall. The rooms weren't particularly big and they weren't particularly furnished; she could tell that it wasn't occupied until not long ago. Chi sat down on one of the chairs in what looked like a den, feeling the exhaustion from the long day settling into her bones. Her eyelids were growing heavy as she laid her head against the back of the chair, relaxing her tense and aching muscles. She heard footsteps and slid her gaze over to find Levi standing in the room's doorway, his arms crossed against his chest. His face was as stoic as ever, but there was an annoyed, troubled light in his eyes. 

"We don't have enough furnished rooms, so you're going to have to share with someone," he sighed. Chi nodded and stood up, stretching her arms and yawning.

"I'll go and join Petra, I guess," she muttered, heading for where she saw her teammate leave. Levi grasped her arm before she could.

"You do  _not_  want to wake Petra," he warned, preventing her from going further. "I don't plan on incurring her wrath here and now." Chi's brows furrowed as she eyed where Levi clutched her arm tightly.

"Then I guess I'll go and join Eren, then? I mean, after all, he should have lots of room in that huge basement, right?" Levi shook his head.

"As I said before, idiot, he's still too unpredictable, making him dangerous. He doesn't even know how to control this power yet."

"Then... where do I sleep?" Chi's knees gave out for a moment and stumbled forward, but Levi caught her before she hit the floor. She was still awake, but only barely; fatigue hit her fast. Levi breathed a deep, slow sigh.

"You've become quite the burden in a short period of time," he sighed, but he scooped her up gently into his arms. Her head rested against his shoulder as she fought for her consciousness. She took deep breaths, catching his scent. It was... almost minty, and clear - it was clean and a little earthy. She didn't know how to explain it, but it slightly pulled her away from the grasps of sleep.

Chi opened her eyes a crack to see they'd entered a room with a bed pushed up against the farthest wall, a dresser, a desk, and a small table. A single candle lit the room from where it sat on the desk. Everything was kept tidy, clean, and in place.

Levi set Chi down on her feet and she wobbled, but he held her shoulders to steady her. She looked at him with half-lidded eyes, watching his annoyed expression as he helped remove the 3D Maneuver Gear. Chi slipped off her boots, cloak and jacket, not bothering to change. Climbing right into the bed, she allowed herself to settle in.

Chi closed her eyes for a few minutes, but opened them a crack again. After observing the room, she saw that her jacket and cloak were folded neatly and placed onto the dresser along with another set next to her own, and two 3D Maneuver Gears were resting on the table. Two pairs of boots were placed by the door, neatly lined up next to the frame. She gasped loudly as she spotted Levi's muscled back, bare, for he was turned away from her. He spun around when she jerked back and smacked her head against the wall.

Chi grimaced and held her head in pain, covering her eyes with the pillow, praying she wouldn't have a nosebleed.

"Wh - what're you doing?!" she whimpered. He sighed loudly and rolled his eyes.

"Changing. In my room. Put your eyes somewhere else, idiot." She lifted her head up again to find he was now wearing a tight, black long-sleeved shirt that hugged his muscular build.

What surprised her even more so was when he climbed into bed alongside her. Wait - his  _room_?!

"We... we're sharing?!" she squeaked, shooting him a look of disbelief. He rolled his eyes yet again.

"Yes, idiot. What did you think would happen?" he scoffed. She reddened, scooting away from him as he turned to face her. The last time she'd slept with a boy - the last time she'd slept with  _anyone_ _-_  was the night before Mina's wedding, with Maki. The memory was like a brick to the face. A little hole wore itself into her chest and her face fell.

Levi's mouth curled into a frown. "What's wrong  _now_?" he asked, sounding annoyed. Chi stayed silent and turned around, facing the wall. A hand was placed on her shoulder to turn her around again. "You've been acting strangely since dinnertime. What's going on with you?"

"Don't worry about me," she told him.

"We're teammates now. I can't have a soldier with something on their mind. It's distracting and it becomes a hindrance."

"It doesn't matter, and it's not bothering me, so don't worry about it. I won't let it interfere with our missions."

Levi let out a scoff. "You take me for a clueless man. You aren't the same person you were when we were exchanging fists earlier."

Chi's eyes grew wide and she twisted around to meet his gaze. She stared into his metallic silver eyes with her own gold ones, desperately looking for some magical reveal in his irises. How could he read her so quickly?

"It's nothing, but... I've been thinking about the reason I vowed to destroy the titans."

"Why? What got you so fired up about this?" Chi pursed her lips, calculating her next words carefully. She didn't speak a word for a few long moments. "I'm waiting."

"Fine, fine, fine." Chi described to Levi in little detail about her memories and how she had lost her loved ones. She tried as best as she could to leave out unnecessary commentary. Levi listened carefully, staying silent the entire time she explained herself. Never once did he break eye contact with her. When she finished, he frowned - something Chi now realized was a rather common occurrance.

"... and that's why I will stay alive until I slay every titan in existence. They'll pay for what they took from me. My best friend." She groaned. She covered her mouth with both of her palms, holding back sobs that wanted to let themselves leave. Never again did she want to relive the pain of losing someone so close to her heart

Levi sighed and said quietly, "Then grow strong, idiot." It surprised her when she felt him place one hand on her head, gently patting it. "See your resolve through to the end." Chi closed her eyes and soaked in the peculiar warmth of his touch.

When she felt him begin to pull away, she grabbed his hand frantically. "No! No, don't go away," she begged, feeling him freeze. His chest rose as he sighed yet again and resumed gently patting her hair.

Chi closed her eyes, enveloping the world in darkness. She slowly drifted off to sleep, feeling and keeping that warmth next to her.

_This warmth... reminds me of home..._


	4. Defiance

Chi woke to the sound of light snoring, a gentle breeze washing across her skin. She lifted her heavy lids to come face to face with a sleeping Levi. Sucking in a sharp breath, she jerked back and pain exploded at the back of her head where she smacked it against the wall. She smothered her mouth with a hand to muffle the sound of her groan. She sat up and rubbed her head, swearing under her breath.  The room around her was still fairly dark, gently illuminated by the small rays of sunlight that escaped through the cracks of the curtains.

"Where am I...?" she wondered aloud, taking in her surroundings. Heaving a deep sigh, she plopped back down and propped herself up on her elbow. Unconsciously, her eyes wandered over to study Levi's sleeping face. His usually-furrowed brows were relaxed, and the frown he always wore was gone; he seemed to become a decade younger.

Upon further thought, Chi reddened in embarrassment when she realized how much of a fool she'd made of herself during the previous night. It felt strange to make herself so vulnerable to someone she had just met. She had shown Levi a side of her that very few knew. Strangely, the voice at the back of her mind bore no words of protest for this.

By now, Chi had dawdled for much longer than she needed to in bed. She slowly climbed out, stumbling as her head swirled from standing quickly. She had slept quite well, and felt more than replenished.

Quickly, she slipped her jacket, boots, and cloak on, equipping her 3D Maneuver Gear.

Without a second glance backwards, she made her way to the front door. On her way outside, she didn't spot anyone else up and bustling about as she had expected. A clock on the wall in the hallway read 5:30 AM. Only about half an hour remained until the rest of the squad were supposed to awaken.

"I'd better use this time to train," she murmured to herself, walking up to the tree line of a small forest filled humanoid straw and wooden figures, all of which resembled titans. A huge lever sat nearby, connected to a series of strings and gears. Those strings and gears were attached to other equipment, separating and connecting to the gigantic figures.

Chi kicked the lever, switching it to the other side. With heavy clanking and screeching, the humanoid dummies began to move with the guidance of the pulleys, the bodies twisting and turning. Chi smirked and pulled out her swords, readying herself. She pulled the triggers on the hilts of the swords, shooting out grappling hooks. They grabbed onto the shoulder of the nearest titan and her gas tank released, propelling her toward her destination.

She laughed with glee when she landed and drove her swords into the neck of the practice titan, running them through the leather as she sprinted across its vast back area. Almost immediately, the titan ceased its moving as the wooden and leather part of its neck fell to the ground.

Leaping from dummy to dummy, Chi sliced this way and that. The forest wasn't dense, but there were enough trees to allow her to move rather freely among the dummies.

After a small while, she returned to the starting point of the training grounds, panting as she stood. She gazed back at the now unmoving wooden figures, their napes littering the ground. As she defeated them, she counted twenty-five. Applause erupted behind her and she spun around to find the entire squad, even Levi, standing behind her. They were applauding, eyes wide and mouths agape. Chi relaxed her shoulders and let out a sigh.

"How long were you guys here?" she asked.

"I woke up when I heard all of this loud clanking and screeching," Eren told her. Chi's eyebrows raised quizzically. The rest of the squad nodded in agreement, but Levi stayed silent and unmoving. She stared at him, returning his piercing glare. "What?" He didn't reply, but his gaze dropped down to her swords. They were smoking from the speed and power she bore. Despite having gone through twenty-five practice targets, they were still gleaming and nearly sharp as a razor. They'd barely blunted.

"Your blades," Oluo breathed, seeming to pout. "How - how are they not damaged?! My blades are worn after a few."

"It must be because she's so fast," Eld commented, coming to her defense. "You watched her take down twenty-five of these training titans by herself within such a small amount of time." He turned to her. "I can see why Heichou asked that you join the Special Ops squad. I was skeptical at first, but you're a natural." Chi blushed and mustered a grin, nodding in thanks. It wasn't everyday she got praised. Eren grabbed her shoulders, his eyes gleaming.

"Wow, Chi!" he exclaimed. "How come you're so strong? Teach me how you took down those dummies!" He clasped his hands together in front of his chest, leaning close in anticipation. "Please! I need to get strong!"

"Uh, I - I - " she stuttered, a heat coming to her cheeks. "Well, I - "

Levi cut her off, a hand shoving Eren away from her. "You're both horrifyingly annoying," he told them, and he turned to Chi.

"You woke up early to train?" he asked. Chi stared at him for a second then shook her head.

"Not on purpose, but it's just what I'm used to from my Trainee days," she explained. Oluo scoffed, crossing his arms. Gunther smacked him atop the head lightly, earning an indignant glare from Oluo. Chi resisted the urge to smile, pressing her lips together.

"Well, we  _were_  going to train using these today," Levi told the squad as he turned to them, "but this fool jumped a few steps ahead and decided to do it all by herself."

Chi scoffed in protest. "Wh - what?! It's not like I knew we were going to use them all today for training!"

"Perhaps next time, it may be the smarter option to  _ask_ ," Levi replied with a stoney face.

Chi's jaw dropped and she gave him a glare. "You couldn't possibly blame me!"

"You couldn't just wake me up and ask? We were sleeping in the same bed, for goodness' sake."

"Whoa, whoa,  _whoa_ ," Petra interjected, throwing up her hands. "You guys were sleeping in the same bed? As in, sleeping...  _together_?" Immediately, the conversation Eld, Gunther, Oluo and Eren were sharing came to a stop. They turned to face their captain and Chi's cheeks flushed a bright red.

"But - but - well, I - no, it's - uh," she stammered, struggling to defend herself. Petra chuckled, a hand over her mouth.

"That's really cute, Chi!" she smirked. "Hooking up with Heichou on your first day here?"

"Shut it," Levi growled, instantly silencing her. "It was purely out of professional intent, and that is only for the one night. If you hadn't been sleeping already, she would've roomed with you. Since we lack space for another cadet, from now on, she's going to join  _you_." He placed a hand on the small of Chi's back and shoved her forward. She stumbled into Petra, but she spun around to face the Captain.

Even though he was a high authority, didn't he know it was rude to shove others?

"Listen up," she spat. "I respect you entirely and I'm ready to give my life if it means saving yours or anyone else's. However, that doesn't mean I'm dirt." She lifted a hand and waved it, indicating the group standing behind her. "We're all part of the Special Operations Squad and we all work loyally under you. We're not cows who wander mindlessly. You need to respect me, too. You need to respect us  _all_ , for we are training until we drop to hunt the things that are out hunting for us. You can't treat us like trash. Even if it means I'll get kicked out of the Elite Squadron, or if I'll get arrested, or executed, I couldn't care less, because I'm  _not_  going to just stand around and watch my comrades get beaten upon by their  _captain_." Chi glared defiantly into his steel gray eyes with her own metallic gold ones.

And with that, she spun on her heels, whipping her cloak and hair behind her. Everyone parted as she stomped towards the castle without making a single glance backwards. The squad watched with their eyes practically bugging out of their heads. Even though Levi was the most stunned of them all, he kept his expression stone. They all turned to him, waiting for a response.

He clicked his tongue, closing his eyes and pinching the skin on the bridge of his nose. How childish. What amazed him even further was how deeply this was bothering him, crawling under his skin and making it tingle. But at the end of the day, he had an elite squad to train.

"Practice close-combat while I take care of tthis," he instructed as he started toward the cse. Everyone looked at each other in hesitation but proceeded to strip off  their 3DMGs.

Levi sighed exasperatedly and shook his head. This was the first time he'd ever felt this feeling. What was it? Shock? Disappointment? Fury? Confusion? Many emotions were swirling around in his head as he tried to sort them out.

~~~~~

"Dammit!" Chi growled, slamming her fist on the doorframe of the living place. She held her head in her hands in embarrassment. "Why am I so stupid...?"

Footsteps behind her made her tense, whipping around to find Levi standing with his arms crossed, a strange expression on his face. He walked toward Chi and grabbed her hands with his scrawny fingers.

Chi tried pulling away from him, but he gripped her tightly. Then, to her surprised, he brought her hand to his face and brushed his lips upon her knuckles. She suppressed a gasp when she felt his lips. Despite how cold he always seemed to be, his lips were warm. He pulled away with an expression that was impossibly blank.

"Erm, wh—" Chi started, but Levi cut her off.

"It's the way I learned to apologize, idio - " but he caught himself. He cleared his throat in something similar to embarrassment.

"A—actually, I'm the one who's sorry, " Chi admitted, averting her gaze to the floor. "I just—I just run my mouth sometimes. I mean, just forget everything I said. Oh, how mortifying... how am I—how am I going to face everybody?"

"No need to apologize," Levi murmured, his gaze elsewhere. "I'll take your words into mind." And with that he turned, turning back to return to the others. Chi grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

"Th - thank you," she forced out, giving Levi out a small smile. He nodded and pulled away. Chi followed closely behind, afraid for the awaiting disaster.

She stepped out sheepishly from behind Levi when they arrived where the others were training. She kept her eyes on the dirt ground, but something rammed into her sharply, knocking the air out of her. It was Petra. She squeezed the remaining oxygen out of Chi's body.

"Chi!" she squealed. "You're so such a funny girl!" Pulling away, Petra took Chi's hands in her's, with a bright smile. The rest of the squad surrounded her, each of them wearing fond smiles.

"Chi," Eren said, "you're a lot more rebellious than I thought."

"Know your place, little girl," Oluo spat. Of course, he shot her a look of distaste.

"Know my place?" Chi countered with indignance. "Well, how about you teach me, since you seem to know so well?" She shoved past the squad and stalked up to the older man, daring him to raise a hand. Oluo looked around, confused, but accepted the challenge, placing clenched fists in front of him. Everyone backed away slowly; Levi stood quietly observing the strange woman from further away.

Oluo arbitrarily took the first swing, aiming a punch directly for Chi's stomach. Everyone stared in horror as she stayed unmoving, but at the very last second, she twisted to the side, letting his fist glide past her back. Before he could realize he missed, Chi shoved her elbow down, directly jabbing him in his right bicep. His arm fell slack as he withdrew, clutching it tightly. His face grimaced in pain his injured arm throbbed, but he charged again, aiming a kick for Chi's head. Chi squatted to escape it and grabbed his ankle as it passed over her head, leaving him standing on one foot.

"After she defeated Heichou yesterday, what the hell Oluo thinking?" Gunther whispered to Eld, shaking his head. Petra casted them a stern glare and they ceased conversing immediately. Levi was studying Chi and watching in was seemed almost like amusement. Eren's eyes practically sparkled as he watched, anticipation and excitement buzzing through his veins.

"Why you - !" Oluo started, but Chi cut him off as she twisted around and heaved him over in midair by the leg with her incredible strength. He flew and slammed into the ground, the air crushed from his chest. He stayed down on the ground, gasping as Chi straddled his waist and lifted her hand high, two of her fingers extended.

"My place?" she sneered, the fire in her eyes blazing. She focused her strength into those two fingers and struck. The ground rumbled and cracks appeared in the earth, kicking up a cloud of dust and dirt. The squad coughed and shielded their faces as the huge force created a strong blast of wind. When it cleared, they realized that Chi had struck the ground; around them, the earth shifted to form a tiny crater.

"I am above you," Chi finished. Then she stood and dusted her palms and clothes off with blunt pats. Chi turned away, scoffing, "And if you think you've seen everything I can do, you're horribly wrong." Everyone stared in awe.

"Y—you went easy on me?!" Oluo gasped, wincing as he attempted to sit up. Chi turned her head and glanced at him from above menacingly. Levi blinked in confusion where he watched; for a moment, Chi's pupils had turned into slits, but when he focused again, they were nothing different.

"I know my place," Chi smirked, "but do you know yours?" Oluo sneered and stood up shakily.

"I—I wasn't trying my hardest, either!" he cried indignantly. "In fact, if I did, I know I would severely hurt you. I can't hit a  _girl_." He spat the last word. Chi spun around and raised two fingers, her eyes glistening and taunting him.

"Try me," she growled. Oluo gulped and took a tentative step backwards.

"No, another day. I'm too tired." Chi scoffed and turned around again, away from the group.

"Fine," she huffed, headed to the area where the unmoving dummies stood. "Don't get in my way, then." She had assumed she was going to be alone, but Eren caught up to her.

"Chi," he called, "you've gotta teach me that move!" Chi stared at him curiously. The sparkle in his eyes reminded her of a child: young, but determined. She smiled faintly.

"Maybe," she replied.

"No! I mean, you have to. Please, raise me to be strong like you!"

"And when do you plan to utilize what I can teach you? I'm not sure you could use these moves against a titan. Actually... perhaps you could when you're in titan form?"

Eren reddened lightly, looking away. "I - I'm not sure if I know how to control myself in that form yet." Chi grinned warmly at him.

"Don't worry, Eren!" she said in reassurance. "I'm sure that you'll learn how to in time!"

"Thank you," Eren chuckled. "Now, will you teach me?"

"After you learn the basics, of course."

Eren's jaw dropped. "The basics?! But I need to know how you flipped someone over your head!"

Chi laughed and rolled her eyes. "Nope. We're starting from scratch. If you're going to do it, then might as well do it the right way!" Eren opened his mouth to retort, but she cut him off before he could. "Do you want to learn or not?"

Eren grumbled. "Fine."

And this, Levi was watching curiously from afar. He'd never met someone with such a talent for destruction.

He shook his head and continued to watch her flip Eren above her head and mush him into the ground. She was such a a strange woman.

This was going to be very interesting, indeed.


	5. A Monster

Eren laid on his back on the dirt ground, bruised, battered, and panting heavily. Chi's training regimen had taken everything out of him. She stood above him, leaning over so she cast a shadow upon his sore body.

"What, you've given up already?" she taunted with a smirk. The sun was high, illuminating the earth with a harsh glow. "We're just getting started!"

"Bu—but Chi..." Eren's voice trailed off as his eyes drooped shut; the boy had collapsed from exhaustion. There was no doubt he would be incredibly sore in the following morning. Chi sighed in defeat.

"Maybe I was a little harsh," she murmured, picking him up and slinging one of his arms over her shoulder. "Hm... nah." She dragged him over to the castle and dropped him off in his room in the basement. Afterwards, she went back to the kitchen to find everyone else preparing a meal.

"Any of you guys need any help?" she offered, taking a big bowl filled with some soup from Petra's hands.

"Oh! Chi!" Petra smiled. "Yes, that would be lovely. Er, just set that down on the table and set up the other bowls. Will Eren be eating?"

"I don't think so, unless he wakes up later. I drilled him pretty hard today." She went over to the cupboard and grabbed a few bowls. She set them down on the rectangular wooden table and set out silverware too. Eld and Gunther were slicing up some vegetables. Oluo sat in one of the chairs by the table, grumbling.

Chi went the hallway to discover Levi with his jacket missing; there was a white cloth wrapped around his head, and he wore a mask over his nose and mouth. He was wiping down a few windows with some rags.

"Hey, it's time to eat," she called to him. He turned and pulled down his mask.

"I'm not hungry," he replied briskly.

"If you don't eat, you aren't going to get any taller, shortie."

"...Shortie?" His eyes flashed. "I'm taller than you, you idiot."

"By maybe a centimeter or less—but you still need to eat."

The corporal rolled his eyes. "I said, I wasn't hungry."

"I guess your appetite also explains why you're so skinny." She walked over to him and took his forearm in one of her hands, measuring around his wrist with her forefinger and her thumb. Surprisingly, he was actually quite sturdy, realizing the taut muscles underneath her hand where she held his arm.

"Actually... maybe I'm wrong!" she exclaimed. Levi rolled his eyes and tugged his arm away from her, annoyed by the exaggeration. Clearly, even through the fabric of his shirt, he was well-built and rather muscular. 

"Is this any way to talk to your superior?" Levi asked sharply. "Don't touch me."

"Hey, whoa! Back up!"

Within a flash, Levi pinned Chi's back against the wall, his hands against the brick on both sides of her head. He brought his face closer to hers until their noses were almost touching, his gaze almost livid.

"I have a title, but that doesn't mean I have to kiss everyone's ass. I'm your Commander, idiot. You can't insult me whenever you like. Just because you can kill a Titan or two without training wheels doesn't mean you can act shitty."

Chi's eyebrows rose. Levi seemed infuriated. She wondered what was bothering him, and a smirk crept upon her lips. She put a hand on Levi's cheeks and his hard expression fell away to be replaced with surprise.

"You're only human," she taunted. He sneered, but she kept his gaze.

"Do you think I'm not aware of that?"

Chi made a face of deep thought. "Probably."

"You are the same." Levi grimaced.

Letting out a dry chuckle, Chi shook her head. "No, I'm not human."

Levi's eyebrows knit at the comment. "Then what the hell do you think you are?"

"...I'm a monster. Obviously." And with that, Chi dropped her hand and ducked under Levi's arms. "Anyway, your food is going to get cold. So get your tiny butt over to the table,  _Heichou_." She knew she would probably get punished later, but she enjoyed seeing this side of Levi.

Perhaps she could have a  _little_  fun.

~~~~~

The sky was a peachy color, reddening from the setting sun. Deep purple curled into the dark scarlet hues, the earth cooling with the night's approach. Chi clapped happily as she watched Eren flip Gunther over his shoulder.

"Nice, Eren! You're catching on pretty fast," she praised. Eren pumped his fist into the air excitedly.

"Alright!" he cheered. Levi stood a ways away, facilitating their training. He was rather irritated; Chi's words from earlier had been replaying themselves in his head for some time now, and it was annoying.

_"... I'm a monster. Obviously."_

Strangely, it bugged him, how she resisted; how she went up against him, and won. He didn't know how she went up against him, or how she won, but it just... annoyed him. He groaned in frustration and pinched the skin between his knit eyebrows.

What a pain.

"Something bothering you?" Chi called. Eren was helping Gunther up and thanking him for being his training partner.

"Don't talk to me, you idiot," Levi sneered. Chi's eyes narrowed and she huffed, turning away. His sharp attitude hadn't changed.

"Asshole," she muttered under her breath. She went to Eren, congratulating him for his hard work. He immediately surprised Chi with a hug.

"Thank you so much for being my mentor!" he cried. "I can almost feel myself getting stronger." Chi smiled and patted him on the head.

"I'm proud of ya," Chi said, glancing at the sun that was soon to set. "It's almost time to rest. Let's head back."

"No! I need to learn anything I can from you.nDon't we have that small expedition in two weeks?!"

Chi laughed. "That gives us plenty of time to learn new things. There's no need to rush it."

Eren threw his hands up in an exasperated fashion. "But if I'm going to learn as much as possible, then I need to use time as much as I can!"

"Two weeks, Eren! Two! Weeks! Fourteen days! Don't worry! Look at yourself. You're dirty and. sweaty and  bruised. What would Levi say if he saw you like this?"

"Well... that doesn't matter. I need to become stronger! Otherwise, I... I won't be able to cleanse this world of those titans."

"I'm with ya, buddy. But you're—at the moment—still only human. So you need rest."

"No I do—" Chi slammed her fist into his stomach, immediately rendering Eren unconscious. She caught him before he hit the ground and threw him over her back, piggy-back style.

"Where does this guy get his energy?" she muttered. She glanced sideways and took in the sight of his peaceful, sleeping face. "He's not half bad when his face isn't stuck in that scowl."

"I'll take him," a voice broke through her thoughts. She snapped her head sideways to find Levi holding out an arm for Eren. "Can't let a woman do all the work—especially not an idiot."

Chi's eyes narrowed and she quickened her pace toward the castle. "This is nothing," she scoffed, entering the doorway. "Watch a woman do all a man's work and double." She rushed down the stairs that led to his chamber. Setting Eren down on the bed, she removed his boots and laid them aside. Lastly, she tucked him in and pecked him on the forehead. Her lips curved into a small smile.

"This guy... he's going to be amazing," she murmured. She turned around and was surprised to find the corporal standing directly behind her. She flinched and ran into the bed with the back of her knees.

"What the hell?!" she squealed, trying not to wake Eren. "Stop appearing like that!"

"Work on your own reflexes," Levi scoffed, a frown etched into his features.

"What?! You're the one who scared me!"

Chi huffed, stomping away and up the stairs. She wanted to get as far away from him as possible. She wandered down a few hallways in search for Petra's room, but every door looked the same—a light, faded oak brown.

After almost half an hour of wandering, it dawned on her.

She was lost.

The stars were already out when she looked through windows, and the shadows were growing longer. Her heart started to pound when the candlelights died slowly, one by one. The hallways became more and more dusty.

"Goodness, no one has probably been here in decades!" she coughed, inhaling dust. She pulled up the collar and front of her shirt to cover her nose as she breathed.

Chi started sneezing, trying to mask the sound as it echoed in the empty hallways. They started winding and debris started appearing on the ground. Initially, she decided to retrace her steps, but when she turned around, she found herself at an intersection of four different hallways.

Groaning loudly, she tugged at her chocolate locks, considering her options. Training with Eren today had taken so much energy, and not to mention, she had to carry his muscle-y body from the training grounds all the way to the basement.

She glanced out a tall window nearby and found the moon already high in the dark night sky. She sighed loudly and decided that when in doubt, go right.

She continued down a few more hallways, making a few turns here and there. At that moment, she heard footsteps... but she didn't recognize this part of the gigantic castle. At least it didn't look as old and rundown as some of the other hallways. She crouched and took a few cautious steps when suddenly a door slid open right beside her, steam billowing out from inside.

Levi stepped out, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist; he'd just finished washing himself, Chi presumed, as there were water droplets rolling down his steamy skin. He was occupied ruffling his hair with another towel. Chi gasped loudly and fell backwards. Levi's carved abs and biceps were prominent. The ridges were deeply etched into his milky skin, like intricate carvings on a statue.

Levi pulled away the towel he was using to dry his hair to find her on the ground, covering her nose with a hand. Her golden eyes were wide and stuck on his own steel gray hues in astonishment.

"Take a picture. It lasts longer," he simpered. Chi's face reddened a thousand times deeper.

"P—p—put on a shirt, dammit!" she squeaked before picking herself up and sprinting past him down the hallways, speeding around the corner. She found herself back in the kitchen and quickly went into the living room.

"Wh—who cares anymore, to be honest... I'm sleeping on the couch tonight!" she whispered to herself, clutching her chest tightly. To her surprise, her heart was beating frantically in her chest. What was this feeling? She felt so nervous and jittery. It was like she'd just eaten a thousand pieces of candy. Although that was a luxury only the nobility had inside of Wall Sina, she got a small taste when she was a small child. Chi couldn't quite remember where or when exactly, but she did remember the taste—and it was extraordinary.

Placing a hand on her chest, she tried to calm her erratic breathing. No matter how much she tried to forget, she couldn't help but remember image clearly.

His muscular arms, those sculpted abs, beads of water rolling down over his broad chest...

_"Take a picture_ _. I_ _t lasts longer."_

Chi squealed and slammed her fists down onto the wooden table in the middle of the room. It snapped in half with a deafening  _crack_ , leaving splinters littered across the furniture. She was left breathless; her lack of self-control was rather concerning.

Within a few minutes, the entire squad (excluding Eren) was in the doorway, all of them still dressed in their pajamas. Levi was now fully clothed.

"What the hell did you do?!" Oluo screeched, his mouth wide in astonishment. A groggy Petra gasped and ran up to her.

"You have a nosebleed!" she pointed out. Levi's eyebrow raised in amusement.

"Was my body really that enjoyable for you?" he mused, almost sarcastically.

Everyone's head snapped to him instantly. "Your what?!" Eld gasped.

A hot, burning sensation flooded Chi's cheeks and head, pulling her away. She blacked out.

~~~~~

**A. N.**

**I love ya** ♥️ **（≧∇≦** **)**

**(2018 me: honestly, this chapter was so ridiculous. what was i even writing in 2014?? i tried rewriting like everything, but i can only fix such a cringey plot so much lmao)**

**xx Rin**


	6. It's All Okay Now

A cool breeze brushed past Chi's face. Her head was pounding in rhythm with her heartbeat. She lifted her heavy eyelids to find a strong emerald gaze staring right back. She jolted up, and pain exploded on her forehead where she'd rammed into something hard.

Crying out in pain, she doubled forward and held her head. A deep voice swore underneath its breath. She squinted one eye open to see Eren sitting on the floor, clutching his forehead with his teeth gritted in pain. Glancing around, Chi realized that she was still in the den with everyone, their hair disheveled upon their heads.

When her eyes landed on Levi, she reddened, tearing her gaze away immediately.

"Wh—what's going on?" Chi asked, studying the crushed table that laid in the middle of the room.

"You're finally awake!" Petra cried, kneeling beside Chi to clutch her hand. Gunther and Eld sighed in relief, but they shook their heads. Oluo groaned and rolled his eyes, waving his arms in notion of the gigantic mess.

"Are you literally  _insane?_ " he yelled. "Look at what you've done!"

"What... what _I_  did?" Chi said in disbelief.

Oluo sighed in exasperation. "There's no possible way you're actually that dense, is there?"

Eren stood and sat beside Chi, motioning to the splintered table.

"I heard everything and came up after everyone else," he explained. "I don't really know why, but... I'm pretty sure you did this. There's really no one else here with that kind of strength." He grabbed Chi's right hand and showed it to her. It was wrapped in white bandages. The cuff of her sleeve was dotted with red.

"I tried to clean you up the best I could, but that blood's going to stain," Petra explained gently. "And, um..."

"...What?" I asked, surprised at the sudden hesitation.

"Could—could you explain what—what is going on between the two of you?" Petra nodded her head towards Levi.

"She probably seduced him," Oluo sneered, taking a few careful steps over the debris. Gunther smacked him atop the head with a scowl.

"It's nothing like that!" Chi cried out, indignant. "It—it's just a stupid joke. Don't worry about it."

"Oh? So that's how it is?" Levi asked amusedly.

"I—I don't know what it is you're trying to get at."

With a click of his tongue, Levi dropped the subject and turned around to leave. Chi eyed the back of his head gratefully. Everyone stared at Chi in confusion, but she ignored them, instead studying the bandages around her hand.

"Wait... where are my rings?" she asked slowly, her eyes widening. They were gone, and a panic arose in Chi's chest.

"Your rings?" Eld echoed, coming beside her.

"Yes, my rings. I—I have two of them. Who put these bandages on me?"

"I did," Gunther answered.

Chi gulped. "Then, did you take off my rings?"

"...I'm sorry, Chi, but you weren't wearing any rings when I bandaged your fingers."

Chi's blood ran cold and she let out a humorless chuckle. "Please, Gunther, I'd appreciate if you weren't joking around right now. Where are my rings?"

"I'm not joking. You weren't wearing any jewelry. It's normal for a soldier not to wear any accessories."

"No, I'm sure I was wearing them," Chi cried in desperation. "I'm certain I was! I never take them off!"

Gunther shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. Standing, Chi headed to the door with wide bounds.

"W—wait!" Petra called after me. "You should rest! We can look for your rings in the morning."

The silence was Chi's response and she stormed out into the pitch black night. She was desperate to find those rings; they were the only things she had left of Mina and Sato. Losing them would be like abandoning her past—and she couldn't afford to commit such a sin.

Grabbing a nearby lantern, she sprinted over to the training grounds. The rings may have slipped off her fingers when she was sparring Oluo, or when she was mentoring Eren. Or maybe they fell off when she was putting Eren to bed? What if they'd fallen off when she was training the titan dummies?

Shaking her head to dispel the panic, Chi dropped to all fours, feeling around the grass blades desperately. Her fingers frantically searched for the bands. In her hysteria, her breaths were growing short; she could hear the blood rushing through her ears over the chirping of the crickets.

"Please, please, be here somewhere," she pleaded as her hands ripped through the soft grass. All she could feel was dirt. Just dirt, dirt and more dirt.

"No!" Chi cried, crawling to the lantern and collapsing by it. She curled up tried to regain control of her hysterical breathing, but to no avail. Slamming her fist into the ground, she let out a defeated sob. How could she bear to lose those rings? After losing her best friends, what else could she afford to give up?

An eternity of lost hope seemed to pass before the sound of footsteps approached Chi from behind.

"Stop crying, you idiot." An annoyed voice broke through Chi's sorrowful cries. She lifted her tear-stricken eyes to find Levi standing above her. His arms were crossed, and the shadows created by the lamp made him seem strangely sinister.

"Wh—what do you want?" Chi choked, frantically scrubbing her face in embarrassment. Levi sighed exasperatedly and held out a hand. Laying in the curls of his fingers was a small, white handkerchief.

"I said, stop crying," Levi reiterated.

Trembling, Chi reached up and took the small wad of cloth. She unwrapped it to wipe away her eyes, but something small and hard fell out of the cloth. She lowered the handkerchief and found them laying before her: Mina and Sato's rings.

"How... how did you—" she started, but he abruptly cut her off.

"Don't ask any questions," Levi interjected, shaking his head. "I have some questions for you, instead."

Feebly wrinkling her nose, Chi stood. "What? What in the world—?"

"Why did you run off?" Levi's voice was irritated.

"What? Obviously, I needed to look for—"

"Do you realize how much you made us worry?" The question caught Chi off-guard. Her jaw dropped. "After injuring yourself like the fool you are, you lacked the self-control to strategize and figure out where your rings may have fallen. You disappear into the night without a single word! What in bloody hell were you thinking?!"

"I—I'm sorry," Chi muttered. She was astonished; it was so rare for Levi to lose his composure. "You know they're my prized possessions. I can't bear the thought of losing them."

Huffing, Levi shook his head in dismay. "We need to go back. Look at yourself, filthy idiot."

Stiffening, Chi realized the predicament she was in. Not only was she shivering from the cold, but she was covered in dirt and grass stains. It looked like she had wiped the ground with  herself.

A gasp burst past her lips when Levi suddenly grabbed him, lifting her in his arms. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Close your mouth," Levi sighed. "You're so irritating."

Squirming, Chi wrestled to get out of Levi's grip. "Let go of me!"

"If I do, you'll trip and hurt yourself." Chi opened her mouth to retort, but Levi gave her no chances. "Can you just shut up already, idiot?"

Chi frowned and her lips curled into a pout. But despite his cold attitude, the arms that held her were gentle and rather warm. With surprising speed, he headed for the castle. Once they returned, they headed to Levi's room.

Levi set Chi down on the bed and threw a blanket over her shivering shoulders. He removed his jacket, cloak and boots, shooting her a frigid glare when he saw that she still had her dirty clothes on. Nonetheless, he sat down next to her, staring into her golden eyes intently.

"Why were you so worried about those rings?" he asked, pointing to the fist by her chest. She looked down at it and uncurled her fingers, revealing the two rings. Silently, she slipped them onto her right ring finger and took a deep breath. Levi was patient for her to speak.

"They belonged to my best friend's older sister and her fiancée," she choked. "It was their wedding day. I was living with my best friend, Maki, and we were picking flowers for the wedding... but that was the day that titans breached the walls in Shiganshina. As we were escaping, Sato—Sato was crushed by a boulder when he protected Mina. Mina tried to help him escape, but it was impossible. They died at the hands of a titan. Maki and I hid, but we witnessed the bloodshed. I—I was so powerless; I couldn't do anything but cry and watch. And when I turned around, Maki wasn't there.

"I was so scared. I was alone, but I tried to find her. I ran. And finally, at the pavilion where the wedding was to be held, I found her—but a giant boulder crushed her in half. I tried to run to her, but I fell. Though I couldn't see straight, my mind was clear enough to watch another titan come upon her. It grabbed her and killed her, but something fell away from her hands."

Chi twisted the rings on her fingers absentmindedly.

"The titan turned around walked away," she continued. "When I finally reached the pavilion, I realized that what she had dropped was a bouquet of flowers, bound by the rings. She was so desperate the protect what linked Mina and Sato's love. After that, I don't—I don't remember what happened clearly anymore.

"It was pure hatred; I remember my vision going white. When I become conscious again, the titan was dead, and I held a broken sword. I wasn't even aware of what I had done. It was as if my body already knew what to do, like... like I was a machine."

Levi's eyebrows raised incredulously.

"So the reason I cannot lose these rings is because it belonged to my precious friends," Chi finished with a sad smile. "They were the closest thing I had to family."

"Where were your parents?" Levi asked slowly, staring at the rings.

"They were a part of the Survey Corps. They never returned from an expedition when I was very young. To be truthful, I don't remember much about them. Most of my childhood is pretty fuzzy, actually."

Chi stiffened when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked at Levi and was surprised to find that he was wearing a frown, and his usually cold eyes now looked so... so sincere.

"... I'm sorry," he whispered. The tone of his voice sounded so genuine and sorrowful; the feelings swarming Chi's heart spiked. 

Levi wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close until her head was resting on his shoulder. Slowly, he rocked back and forth, cradling Chi as if she were made of glass. Then, he whispered into her ears, his words so quiet it was barely a breath.

"But it's all okay now."


	7. Why Do You Do This To Me?

"Again!" Levi shouted to the Special Ops squad as they trained. Only Eren was still trapped inside his confined room in the basement. The squad was practicing their formation in the case that Eren lost control in his titan form. Eld and Gunther would slash his legs to prevent him from being able to move, Petra would go for his arms so he wasn't capable of an attack, and Oluo would go straight for his eyes, taking away his vision.

Chi had the most important role of all; hers was to sneak her way to the back of Eren's neck without him noticing while everyone else would distract him. She needed to make the incision large enough to weaken the form, then cut Eren free and escape safely. Levi... well, Levi would only jump in for emergency situations—or so he said. Who really knew what he would do in such a situation.

They were practicing on another giant wooden dummy. Their roles were executed smoothly and the plan was over quickly.

"This is good enough. Let's pack up and head back for the day," Levi praised. Chi and stretched her arms high above her head, staring into the setting sun. She smacked her lips and grinned—she felt as if she were getting stronger. Getting stronger meant getting closer to completing her mission to kill the titans.

"Rest up tonight, because tomorrow we will get going outside of the walls and practicing on real titans," he announced as they were headed back. "It's for reconnaissance. Don't be stupid; there will be no one else out there but us. We cannot let our ourselves go. Be sure to take any precautions you may need and stick to the plan."

Many gasps arose from the group.

"Bu—but Heichou, will that be alright with Commander Erwin?" Petra stammered, her eyes wide in shock.

"I've already gotten permission from  
him. Don't get yourself killed. I expect you all to be able to either kill or escape any titan we may intercept. Combat will only be necessary if it happens to take notice of us."

Eld cut in. "But Heichou, you know that on the ground, we're practically powerless! How will we fight them?"

"You're all part of the Special Operations squad, aren't you? I asked you to be part of this team because of your notable skill. If you die while in battle with one, I will acknowledge that you truly did not belong with this squad." Though his words were as cold as ice, there was a strange telltale edge to his voice.

With that, many of their faces fell. Behind her, Oluo scoffed.

"This will be a piece of cake," he drawled.

"Right on," Chi muttered sarcastically under her breath. Oluo glared daggers into the back of her head.

"Chi, go and grab Eren. It's time for dinner," Levi ordered.

"Yes, sir," she saluted and trotted into the giant castle. She found the basement door and skipped down the steps to see Eren facing the opposite wall with his back to her, staring at it blankly. When he heard her footsteps echo, he spun around. His eyes lit up almost immediately.

"Chi!" he cried. She grinned warmly and walked to the bed, sitting next to Eren.

"What've you been doing this whole time, Eren?" she asked.

"Staring at the wall... and thinking."

"Thinking? About what?"

"...About how I tried to kill Mikasa when I was a titan. I don't even remember it happening—but I feel terrible. Now she has a horrible scar on her cheek." He sighed dejectedly.

"Eren..." Chi wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him close. "Don't worry. It will take time and practice, of course, until you'll be able to properly control yourself in that form. We all make mistakes."

"But I tried to  _kill_  Mikasa. She could've died."

"Well, technically,  _you_  didn't—your titan self did. You couldn't ever hurt a fly, Eren. The only thing that gets you fired up is titans." Eren opened his mouth to retort, but Chi gave him no chance. "Trust me on this, Eren. You can't become perfect in one day. Just like how we went through three years of training to get where we are now."

Eren looked at Chi helplessly.

"And if you ever lose control, don't worry, because I'll always be here to stop you!" Chi stuck out her tongue and pointed at herself jokingly.

"Alright, alright. Thanks." Eren sighed deeply but managed a weak smile. He gave her a tight embrace.

"I love ya," Chi said tenderly.

"I love you too, Chi," Eren echoed.

**~~~~~**

Levi stepped into the house long after Chi had taken off to retrieve Eren. He removed his 3DMG and put it away haphazardly, still lost in thought.

Last night...

When he thought about the things he'd done the previous night, he wondered why. He didn't even know what came over himself; Chi had just looked so fragile and so vulnerable. Levi had fortunately found her rings among the remnants of the wooden table. They were covered in so much rubble, he was sure that if someone inexperienced in cleaning such as Eld or Gunther were to take hours just staring at the pile, they wouldn't notice. But of course, Levi did. He always did.

Levi picked them up and took them to her. When he brought Chi back, she told him her story. It was clear to see that that was what drove her so voraciously. She knew that she had such a high chance of getting killed outside the walls; at least thirty percent of the members every time the Corps had an expedition never returned, and she  _knew_  that. That ambition could be the death of her, but it was nothing to stop her.

She looked so broken... and he couldn't watch her lose herself anymore.

Levi shook his head at the thought and sighed deeply. He went to the kitchen to find that Eren and Chi were still missing.

"What's taking the brats so long?" he wondered aloud, clearly irked. Petra overheard and shrugged in reply, resuming her cooking. Levi opened the basement door tentatively and began soundlessly making his way down the stairs. He overheard the distinct voices it Eren and Chi talking and quietly reached the bottom. He was tempted to call their names, but his voice caught in his throat as he finally came upon their conversation.

Levi came to a jolting stop when he heard their words. Were they in love? He had not noticed, but it all made sense... the way she was so protective of him despite the fact that he was a literal ticking time bomb. It explained the way they cared deeply about one another.

Levi chuckled internally and ran a hand through his hair. He felt quite stupid—but then it brings the question: why did Chi accept him last night?

But he was tired of these pervasive, needless thoughts.

"Oi, brats," an annoyed voice called out. Chi pulled away from Eren to find Levi glaring at them, leaning against the wall. His arms were crossed and he rolled his gray eyes. "Enough with the childish love antics. It's time to eat."

"Wait, you've got the wro—" Eren started, but Levi cut him off sharply.

"Shut up." And with that, he spun around and ascended the stairs without another word, steps heavy.

"What's up with him?" Chi spat, standing. She grabbed Eren's arm and pulled him up the stairs to see the squad already seated around the wooden table in the dining room. Two empty spots awaited them.

"Ah, you've made it," Eld greeted. He gestured for them to sit down. On the table sat only two dishes; one large bowl we filled with beef, a glazed with a golden-brown sauce. The other large plate was filled with stir-fried vegetables. Chi's eyes glittered as she stared at the delicious-looking food, hungrily smacking her lips.

"Let's dig in!" Gunther cheered, immediately diving in with a fork. Petra smacked his hand away with a stern look on her face.

"Not until Heichou says so," she scolded, nodding towards Levi. He sighed.

"Just eat," he said. Right away, everyone began digging in. Chi piled up her plate entirely with both dishes. She slurped her lips and devoured her food quickly.

"I'm not hungry today," Levi muttered. He ate only a few bites and quietly slipped away from the table to put his dishes away. Nobody seemed to notice, or care much, as they continued indulging. Chi hurried to clean her plate then stood, putting her dishes in the sink.

"Done already, Chi?" Eren asked. "You ate so much in so little time. You'll get a stomach ache."

Chi had to think quickly. She groaned in artificial pain and bent over, clutching at her stomach.

"Oh, yeah, I feel it coming on," Chi lied. "I think I need to go to the bathroom." Eren protested and tried to follow, but she slipped away before he could get the chance.

Chi searched along the corridor outside of the kitchen, searching for Levi had disappeared to. After a while, he didn't show, and she nearly gave up—until out of the corner of her eye, she spotted him.

Chi was walking down an older hallway soundlessly until...

There he was, leaning against an open window sill, staring out into the night. Chi knit her eyebrows, debating if whether she should bother him. Perhaps if she snuck up on him, she'd get a good, light-hearted scare out of him.

Silently, she walked to Levi, crouched, and barely breathing. She wore a wicked smirk.

At last, her hands hovered right beside Levi. Without a moment of hesitation, she jabbed her fingers into his sides and screamed, "Boo!"

She waited a moment for his reaction, but the jump or scream or flinch never came.

Before Chi realized it, her back crashed into the wall, both of her arms pinned by her head. She squeezed her eyes shut as the air was knocked out of her lungs, making her gasp for air. She tried to calm her racing heart. Something pressed against her body, crushing her in between the wall and it.

Chi opened her golden eyes to meet steel gray ones.  _Levi's_  steel gray ones. He brought his face close to hers, lips right beside her right ear.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he growled.

"H—hey!" she squeaked in a shaky voice. She could feel her face burn intensely. Their bodies were pressed firmly together, his hands locking her arms to the wall.

" _What_  were you doing?" he repeated in his low voice. He looked her in the face, leaning so closely that their noses were nearly touching.

"I—I was just trying to scare you. We gotta have some fun here, you know?"

"Do I look like I'm afraid?"

Chi took that moment to study his face. He seemed unfazed and indifferent, like usual—but something was off. It was his eyes; usually they were daunting and dark, they now had a certain spark with a hunger behind them. A  _disastrous_ kind of hunger. Chi felt nervous— _scared_ , almost. Something was  _definitely_  different.

"N—no...?" Chi stuttered, struggling to find the right words.

Clicking his tongue, Levi leaned even closer— so close that their foreheads touched.

"Le—Levi!" Chi tried shrinking back against the wall.

"The only one who should be scared here..." He drifted forward and brushed his lips against the corner of hers. Then he pressed them firmly onto her skin. Despite his coldness, warmth was radiating off of every inch of him. "...is you." His low, rumbling voice vibrated against her lips, causing her to stiffen. Her eyes were wide with shock.

What should she do?

Move?

Punch him?

Kiss him?

Against her buzzing skin, Chi felt him smirk and he pulled away slowly. Levi released her arms and they fell to her sides. She stayed frozen. The light she'd seen in his eyes earlier had disappeared, and his expression returned to its stoic habit. Thousands of emotions swirled in her head, her heart thumping so loudly and so quickly, she was sure he could hear it. He turned and began to walk away.

Unconsciously, Chi rushed forward and embraced Levi from behind. He froze immediately when she buried her face in his back.

"But," she whispered, "I'm not afraid of you."

Levi's arm twitched, and she felt him whisk around and grab her face roughly, crushing his lips onto hers. His other hand grabbed the small of her back, pressing her up against him. He kissed her furiously and passionately, pushing her back. Leaning against her until she was once again pressed up against the wall, he pulled away for air and she gasped quietly.

Levi took that chance to kiss her again, thrusting his tongue into her mouth this time. Her eyes widened as his tongue moved with hers. Bewildered and astonished, Chi attempted to pull away, but Levi held fast. Again and again they pulled away for air, but each time he came back even more rapidly than the last. Their lips moved in sync, and she eventually gave way and melted into him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his black hair,.

Between kisses, he spoke.

"Why do..."

He rushed in and she felt the flush of her cheeks flare.

" ...you do this..."

One last time, he leaned in, but it was only to leave a small, gentle kiss. Chi bent closer for more, but Levi's lips only lightly brushed hers. He spoke softly. 

"...to me?"

~~~~~

***Nosebleed***


	8. Emptiness

"Let's go!" Levi commanded the Elite squadron, saluting his hand forward. Everyone charged through the gates on their stallions, thundering. They were heading a mini-expedition outside the gates; a bold training exercise, if you will. Petra, Eld, and Gunther shook with nervousness. Even Oluo couldn't completely hide the fear of leaving the safety of the walls. Though they had faced titans countless times in the past, encountering another one always seemed like a terrible feat. Eren, on the other hand, was a little more than just worried.

Chi was the only one buzzing with excitement. Bloodlust stirred within her. When everyone finally reached the outer wall and safely crossed outside, the giant gate rolled down, trapping them outside.

"Remember our plan!" Levi shouted over the thundering horses. "Slay a titan only if there seems to be a high chance of success! Avoid injury and death! Collect any intelligence and do not stray far away from the group! We have no backup! Stay within the perimeters we were assigned and check your maps! Stay away from the farther territory or risk death!"

"Yes, sir!" everyone replied in unison. Eren was quick to notice how unusually quiet Chi was. Her lips were curled into a malicious smirk, and her eyes seemed... different. They were darker than usual, and the glint in her irises were daunting. She quivered atop the horse, gripping the leather reins so tightly that her knuckles were a pale white color.

After almost ten minutes, the squad spotted two stray titans.

"Alright! Break forma—?!" Levi started, but he was cut off when he spotted Chi speeding past everyone. Extending her arms, she leapt off of the horse's back, forcing it to a complete stop.

The squad will still rather far from the titans—but with incredible speed, Chi sprinted fast, quickly closing the distance. Her teammates were stunned into silence; she was absolutely incredible. There was no way she could be human.

"Chi, wait!" Petra screamed, forcing everyone to react as well. She feared for the young woman's life, but Chi was too excited to notice. She raced toward the titans without any sign of reluctance.

The titans noticed her at the last second, but Chi had already shot out her grappling hooks. They plunged into the small of the first titan's back and she lurched forward when the gas tank released some pressure. Swinging around the titan, she circled the confused titan as it turned to face its huge body toward her. She shot another hook straight for its shoulder. The titan swung a gigantic hand, but it missed, and Chi jerked forward with the gas once again.

Chi landed lightly on the titan's shoulder, running straight to the nape of its neck. She pulled out her blades and dug them into the titan's skin, dashing across its upper backside. With a roar, she sliced off a chunk of the titan's flesh. Before the first giant fell with an earth-shattering rumble, Chi leapt up and landed on the face of the other titan. A maniacal grin curled her lips, the blood of the dead titan slowly steaming off of her face and blades.

"My, what gorgeous eyes you have," she cooed, raising her blades. Within a second, she drilled them both into its eyes. The titan screeched and Chi laughed as she pulled out her blades, the razor-sharp edge gleaming against the harsh sun. Then, she kicked off and flipped over the titan's head to land on its shoulder.

"Suffer!" Chi bellowed, gouging the chunk of its nape out. Its blood spurted out and drenched her, but she celebrated in the death of the titan. As it fell, too, she flipped into the air and whistled, calling to the horse. It ran to her aid and she landed rockily on its back. She tossed her hair and sheathed her blades as trembles rang through the earth from the second fallen titan. Just then, the squad finally approached.

Everyone skidded to a stop and stared at Chi with wide eyes. What a sight; her brown hair was wild and tousled, billowing in the wind. Blood drenched her head to toe, slowly steaming away in thin clouds. What had intimidated them most, though, wasn't the blood. 

It was her eyes.

They were gleaming their usual gold, but it seemed much more brilliant, much more spectacular; her pupils were thin, black slits. Her teeth were bared in the huge grin she wore.

"Chi," Eren breathed, his eyes still wide with shock. She'd taken down two titans all by herself in less than a minute. No one—even Eren—had ever seen Chi in action.

"Come on!" Chi cheered, turning her horse around. "Let's go look for some more titans to kill!"

"Why didn't you save one for me?" Oluo grumbled. Chi grinned at him tauntingly, and he flinched.

"Oluo, I'm sure you'll find more," she laughed. Then she sped off without them.

"Chi!" Levi called. "Chi, you damned fool! Stop!" He chased after her, but quickly gave up as the distance only increased. He watched begrudgingly as she became nothing but a dot in the distance. Luckliy, there were no titans as far as they could see.

_Please... just a little longer... until I can't feel anything anymore. Numb every part of me. All of it. Everything._

_~~~~~_

_The Elite Squadron was waiting in the stables for Chi. She ran to them, apologizing for the inconvenience of her late arrival. She'd been up most of the night, laying in bed and thinking of the feeling of Levi's lips against her own. It filled her with warmth. Honestly, how could she sleep when she couldn't even sort out her thoughts?_

_The next morning, everyone was already settled atop their horses—except for Levi. Chi flashed him a small smile, but he glared at her, and she faltered. Then he turned and mounted her horse. They trotted along the trail towards the gate. On the journey there, she tried to talk to Levi, riding beside his stallion._

_"Um, Levi?" she addressed timidly, smiling warmly. Levi didn't return it and continued to glare at her_

_"What do you want, idiot?" he growled. Chi recoiled defensively, laughing awkwardly in hopes to lighten the situation._

_"I—it's nothing. Nevermind!" Then she slowed so she traveled at the back of the group._

_Since when had she been so weak?_

~~~~~

The Special Operations squad traveled in a group like a pack of wolves, scanning every spot of the perimeter for two things: titans, and Chi. They never even spotted a glimpse of her, but they did come upon numerous steaming corpses. Upon close inspection, it was clear that they had been killed by none other than the missing soldier. She'd beaten them all to it; she managed to kill every titan within the perimeter—alone.

"Dammit... is this girl gonna leave any for us?!" Oluo grumbled in frustration. "Heichou... we can't let a little girl like her run off and do her own thing like this, can we?!" Everyone else was trembling with awe. Chi had taken down each and everyone one of those titans herself with incredible speed—but where was she? They never found her body. Had she... maybe she'd been captured and eaten by a titan?

The skies were beginning to darken. It would be dangerous to stay outside the walls at night, especially when they weren't properly equipped to be stranded. Levi called for a retreat.

Everyone took turns shouting her name, hoping for a reply or any kind of sign, but they never saw her.

As they neared the gate of the wall, they saw a figure standing next to a dimly lit lantern. They leaned against the wall, and a horse grazed leisurely next to them. When the squad came closer, Levi recognized the very woman they'd been searching for. Waves of relief washed over the entire squad, but with exasperation. They were so consumed with worry that they'd done nothing productive the entire day.

"Chi!" Eren shouted. She looked up at them with a blank face.

"Hey," she greeted. She mounted her horse and slowly trotted over to them.

"Where have you been?" Petra cried. "We were looking all over for you! We thought you—you could've been eaten! Don't just disappear like tha—" Levi silenced her with a raise of his hand.

"Let's go," he commanded with cold eyes. Wordlessly, everyone followed as they entered the gates and continued to the castle. When they reached it, they led their stallions to the stables and fed them before going inside. The intensity of the atmosphere practically crackled between the squad.

"Chi," Levi called from the back of the stables. Everyone else was still heading towards the castle for a late dinner. Chi turned around and stared at him with blank eyes. He beckoned for her to come to him. She shuffled over and before she knew it, something hard smacked against her cheek, thrusting her to the side. She clutched her cheek with one hand and kept her face as stoic as she could.

Levi slapped her. With eyes that smoldered with furry, he was clearly angered by Chi's rash decisions and childish demeanor.

"What the  _hell_ did you think you were doing?" he demanded, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Training."

"You deliberately ignored all of my instructions and put your teammates in the face of danger—not to mention, you also hindered the training of your comrades. If it wasn't for your impulsiveness and lack of self-control, our training as a  _team_ would've been executed just fine."

"I apologize for the inconvenience, Heichou. I promise it won't happen again." Chi's voice was monotonous, and she kept her gaze level with Levi.

"You'd better stick to those words of yours," he threatened, venom lacing his voice, "or you'll be facing the consequences. Next time, I won't be as lenient. On this squad, we work together. Should you commit another ridiculous act that deems you unfit for this squad, you will be removed immediately, and I shall see to that. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." And with that, Chi turned around and walked away. She hoped—and tried to push that hope away—that Levi would stop her and explain his unreadable demeanor. It was the polar opposite of the caring man that she thought she knew.

She hoped that he would tell her that that morning, he was only so cold because he didn't get enough sleep either.

...But he didn't.

A little piece of her heart chipped off as she walked away. She'd seen a side of him that not many others had seen before. If he was going to act that way, she guessed that it meant what had happened was nothing but a farce.

Those kisses... must have meant nothing. He loved toying with her, didn't he? She felt empty, like there was a gaping hole in her chest. She felt like she was nothing.

Chi stepped into the kitchen doorway and immediately heard multiple gasps. Petra was by her side in an instant and cupped her uninjured cheek in her hand.

"What in the world happened to you?!" she cried, her auburn eyes full of worry.

"It's nothing," Chi replied with a sheepish smile.

"No, look! Your cheek is swollen, and it's turning... a dark color. And you're bleeding!"

"Please, don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

 


End file.
